If you see a turtle on top of a fence post, you know they did not get there by themselves. So it is with all of us. Any success you are experiencing right now, is because someone, no matter how small, helped get you there.
In Romans 16, the Apostle Paul mentions 26 people by name. He asks the recipient of the letter to “greet” them. The word greet does not just mean to say hello, it means to salute, to welcome and to enfold in the arms.
Whether you have a team or just a partner in crime, they make you better. Take time this week to not just tell them thank you, but salute them and enfold them in your arms. Tell them how much they mean to you and the ministry they serve.
Here are a few ways you can thank them without breaking the budget
- Make a video and thank each of them publicly on Facebook or Instagram
- Create coupons for free babysitting, leaf raking or oil change
- Give them time away from the ministry to relax and refresh
- Take them out to lunch/dinner at their favorite hangout
- Make a video of students thanking volunteers for their time and effort
- Make crazy end of year trophies/certificates to handout in your youth meeting.
- Make a playlist of funny or/and affirming songs that remind you of them and send it to them.
As you gather around the Thanksgiving table this week, don’t forget your most important team, you family. Be sure to do the times more for them than your volunteers because long after you are done with the team and the church you now serve, they will still be helping you get to the top of that pole.
By the way, any success I’ve experienced, beyond the local youth ministry, is because of you. You bought something I wrote, sent a note of encouragement or left a comment on a video I created. You’ve had a part in the success I’ve had and the success I will have moving forward, so, a big thanks to you this Thanksgiving week.